A Mix For “Regina’s Music Underbelly”

Carl Johnson has a long musical resume around this town. He’s currently a part of Library Voices, Coldest Night of the Year and the Florals and has a long list really good former bands, too.

Now, Johnson’s taking his Dude From Around credentials and using them to document the scene. Prairie Shag is a 16-track mixtape of Regina bands (and one Saskatoon act, too). It looks and sounds pretty cool.

Side one features the Extroverts, Robin and the Hairy Bats, Black Thunder, the Lazy MKs, Lambta Das, the Weird Years, Snake River, Kitchen Party and Andy Shauf. Side two has the Spoils, the Florals, Herb Exner, the Peanut Butter Genocide, These Estates, Wizards, and Jeff Morton.

You can get actual cassette copies of the mixtape at the Prairie Shag Tumblr. (Or just download it for free, if you don’t have much use for cassettes.) While there:

– marvel at Orion Paradis’ mastering;
– fawn over the rad accompanying art by Phomohobes; and
– follow the Tumblr, since Johnson promises more from Prairie Shag in the future.

When and where did you get the idea for a mixtape of mostly Regina musicians?

After a show in town this summer the drummer for Ketamines was asking about the local music scene. I blabbed a bunch of names at him until he asked me to just make a mixtape.

How did you decide on which artists to feature?

There are a lot of artists in town who are making art and music that’s thoughtful and spirited and unconcerned with following the chongo line. Maybe there always have been. I wanted a sample of artists I enjoyed and admired. There’s many more I would have liked to have involved with the mix.

Why the name “Prairie Shag”?

There’s a mysterious loner-type living in Regina’s northwest who’s candor and musical taste I appreciate. The name sort of evokes them.

How did a single Saskatoon band sneak on there?

Why wouldn’t you put one on? I’d be excited to see a Regina band on a Saskatoon mix. Plus, Wizards rule.